The Pew Research Center interviewed 3,475 adult American Jews nationwide from Feb. 20 to June 13 for its “Portrait of Jewish Americans” study. Those surveyed said the most essential part of being Jewish includes remembering the Holocaust, leading an ethical life and working for social justice and peace. Almost all said they are proud to be Jewish.

The following findings are for all adult American Jews surveyed unless otherwise noted. The survey’s margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The entire survey is online at http://bit.ly/1cxLGFY/

Among the survey findings:

■ There are an estimated 5.3 million adult American Jews, representing about 2.2 percent of the total United States population.

■ 4.2 million say they are Jewish by religion.

■ 1.2 million say they are secular or cultural Jews, meaning they were raised Jewish, had a Jewish parent and consider themselves Jewish although they don’t practice the religion.

■ 62 percent say being Jewish is about ancestry, ethnicity or culture.

■ 15 percent said being Jewish is about religious belief.

■ 68 percent of the youngest generation – those were born after 1980 – say they are Jewish by religion.

■ 32 percent of the youngest generation say they have no religion but identify themselves as Jewish based on ancestry, ethnicity or culture.

■ 35 percent identify with Reform Judaism, making it the largest Jewish denominational movement in the United States.

Jacksonville synagogues reach out to young Jews to keep the faith

Noam Ben Simon, 9, works Aug. 25 on a kosher shofar for the Jewish High Holidays on Chabad at the Beaches. Chabad welcomes all denominations of Judaism.

More young Jews are going to Jacksonville synagogues, but several local rabbis say challenges, as detailed in a controversial study of Judaism in America, remain to ensure that current and future generations keep the faith.

Young adult American Jews are increasingly estranged from Judaism, according to a Pew Research Center Religion and Public Life Project survey released in October.

“We definitely see this as a major challenge to Jewish continuity …,” said Rabbi Yaakov Fisch of Etz Chaim Synagogue in Mandarin, adding that “we are not immune to what the Pew study highlighted.”

About 32 percent of the youngest generation of American Jews — those born after 1980 — say they have “no religion,” but instead identify themselves as Jewish based on ancestry, ethnicity or culture. Meanwhile, 22 percent of all adult American Jews interviewed also said they had no religion, and that group appears to be increasing, the survey showed.

“Differences by generation are very stark. Older Jews are Jews by religion. Younger Jews are Jews of no religion,” Alan Cooperman, deputy director of Pew’s Religion and Public Life project, said.

However, almost all said they are proud to be Jewish. The majority said the most essential part of being Jewish includes remembering the Holocaust, leading an ethical life and working for social justice and peace.

“That same study found that the young generation is disgruntled with the so-called mainstream: organizational Judaism, the system. But the younger generation is seeking spirituality, warmth and a certain genuineness and they are finding it with Chabad organizations like us … where they can feel welcome, warm and at the same time that even if they come a little bit, they still get a lot out of it,” said Rabbi Nochum Kurinsky of Chabad at the Beaches.

The study is sparking discussion as well as concern in synagogues nationwide, including Jacksonville, which is home to about 15,000 Jews.

Rabbi Shmuel Novack of Chabad Southside said the survey “is a little deceptive because it’s based on a certain dynamic which indicates Jewish involvement based on membership.”

Chabad-Lubavitch synagogues such as Chabad Southside, Chabad at the Beaches and the four others in the Jacksonville area aren’t membership-based.

By essentially overlooking Chabad, the largest Jewish organization in the world, the survey is “worthless,” Novack said.

People participating in Chabad may identify themselves as different denominations of Judaism. Chabad welcomes them all, and is experiencing exponential growth, he said.

“Jews of all ages, especially young Jews, are coming more often. They are coming for classes more often, and for formal as well as for informal services.”

Novack added that there is a frustration with the business aspect of religion. In contrast, Chabad offers a welcoming, non-judgmental, no-frills, no-membership and no-strings-attached experience, he said.

“You can just come and experience Judaism. I think it is something that appeals across the board to Jews of all backgrounds who want an authentic experience but who may have been turned off by some of the organizational aspects of Judaism,” Novack said.

Chabad at the Beaches is about “50 percent retirees and 50 percent young people in their 20s and 30s.” The number of young people is increasing. Many older Jews come for traditional reasons such as their parents or grandparents died, or barely survived, the Holocaust. Many young Jews share elders’ values but are looking for more.

“They want modern relevance in Judaism,” Kurinsky said.

The majority of Chabad Southside participants are young Jews and their numbers also are growing. They have an enthusiasm for Judaism which contrasts with the Pew study’s message of dismay with Judaism, Novack said.

“The message that we are trying to say is ‘lose the denomination.’ A Jew is a Jew at the end of the day. And our doors are always open and welcoming for Jews looking to get in touch with their heritage.”

The first of its kind in 12 years, the survey showed that Jews of no religion are less likely to raise their children Jewish.

Fisch wasn’t surprised by the findings, which also examined other aspects of Jewish life including affiliation with different denominations of Judaism, marrying outside the faith, not raising children Jewish and support of Israel.

“It is more of a wake-up call as to how important it is to engage the younger generation,” Fisch said.

Etz Chaim emphasizes Jewish education, including social programs for children, teens and young adults. The goal is to empower the synagogue’s young people “to be proud of their faith, proud of their tradition and proud to be American Jews,” he said.

Fisch said the number of young families attending Etz Chaim is increasing. Nonetheless, he estimated that fewer than half of Jacksonville’s Jews attend synagogues.

Rabbi Jesse Olitzky of the Jacksonville Jewish Center said it’s likely young Jews nationwide also are disengaged because their local synagogues might not have adjusted with the times. Such synagogues often reflect their parents’ generation, which isn’t appealing to many of the younger generation born after 1980, he said.

“Nobody is looking to go back in time. Not to say that we aren’t committed to tradition, and aren’t committed to authenticity. But there is an evolution that needs to take place to make faith relevant to the millennial generation in the year 2013,” Olitzky said.

The Jacksonville Jewish Center reaches out to young adults with a young clergy, preschools or day schools for children, and adult-education programs and activities for young people. It has a group of about 50 young adults, age 25-35, who come together for social activities that incorporate their faith.

“We’re trying to engage young adults in organized Jewish life. Part of that is engaging people where they are. It’s engaging people outside the synagogue building,” said Olitzky, noting it’s also about lowering the barriers of participation. Money and finances can be big barriers, he said.

“You don’t have to be a member of our synagogue to participate in our young-adult programming,” Olitzky said.

“Whether it’s using sports or pop culture as an entry point, it’s about using them to connect to themes of our faith, to the themes of the Torah,” Olitzky said.

The Pew study, Novack said, sounds a cautionary note for all Jews.

“It’s saying what can we do to make sure that Jewish youth feel comfortable, feel welcome and are enthusiastic participants in Judaism.”